Margaret Hodge & The BNP.

[Leekbrookgull]

So it appears,that Margaret Hodge,feels New Labour are losing support particularly in urban area,s True or False? If so could you ever see yourself voting BNP? Like most urban area,s there are parts of Stoke-on-Trent,that have become little enclaves of some distant land. To use and much used BHAFC phrase 'We've had enough.' Has New Labour let the people down on this subject?

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I suspect it is scare mongering and perhaps a chance to highlight how dangerous the BNP actually are.

Would anyone in their right mind vote for the BNP if they wanted someone to be tough on crime? It is not as if the BNP would snatch overall power, plus most of their members have criminal records the size of South America.


Ah, that was nice, made me forget about todays game for a little while.

 

[El Presidente]

I recall lots of BNP songs being sung in Burslem three years ago when we were promoted and the final game of the season was at Vale.

 

[Brovion]

It's a bit rich coming from a staunch New Labour supporter such as Hodge but it's what a lot of us unreformed, unreconstructed, and unrepentant 'Old' Labourites have been saying for quite a while now. The general view (and I fall into the trap myself sometimes) is simply to slag off the BNP and everybody who votes for them as just racist scum - but that is not the whole picture. To use some good old blunt 1970s political languge the Labour party has betrayed the white working class. Some lickspittle class traitors will always vote Tory but for a lot of people the BNP plays a similar role in England to that of the Nationalist parties in the rest of the UK: "Things are bad for you because we are ruled by the English / overrun by foreigners (delete as appropriate)"

Rightly or wrongly they see the modern Labour Party as being obsesessed with 'political corectness' (whatever that is) and not caring enough about issues that matter to normal people. If they complain about any perceived bias in favor of immigrant groups or ethnic minorites they are told to shut up and not be racist.

The sad thing is the fact that this is not some illusion created by the Tory Press and Rupert Murdoch but has more than a grain of truth in it. The Labour Party (which I agree had to evolve and reach out to people outside it's natural supporters) has got to try and re-connect with the working class. It won't do that by concentrating on things like all-women parlimentary shortlists or by slagging of the English and saying how marvelous it is that Britain is swamped with cheap labor.

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

I really don't feel that the BNP are a problem. The limit of their succeess has been a handful of councillors in wards where the turnout was pitifully low. They have never seriously been a threat in either general or european elections.

Why do new labour need to change? Who else are old labour voters going to vote for? Answer - noone Thats why labour are desperate to cling onto the middle ground as they know that is what wins and loses elections.

 

[HampshireSeagulls]

I'm quite surprised how many people are viewing the BNP as a viable option at the moment. It's borne of desperation and frustration, and I think the best they will manage is a small "protest vote" - but they already have councillors. We all know that their policies don't stand up to much scrutiny (ie - any!), and they are only ever going to be a small voice. However, a few years back no-one ever envisaged them having any councillors. I think that we should be concerned, but not overly worried - but the onus has to be on Bliar's government to get a grip on the concerns of the voting public with regard to immigration and perceived (and real) problems that the open door policies/lack of proper regulation are causing.

 

[Domsdad]

Quote: Like most urban area,s there are parts of Stoke-on-Trent,that have become little enclaves of some distant land

All parts of stoke-on-Trent are some distant land - The land that time forgot. The fact that the place is full of facists is no surprise to anyone who's been there. It was like that in the 70s and thats where Stoke is now.

 

[Goring Gull]

Couldn't say i'd ever vote for them, but when you see / read about all this immigrants coming over and claiming this, robbing people generally behaving like scum you think why should we put up with it. Then on the other hand there are plenty more british born white scum running amok aswell claiming all manner of benefits on one hand and producing offspring who will follow in there footsteps and the government seem to do fcuk all to sort them out aswell.